Strategies to Improve Teaching in New Mexico By Thomas J. Kane - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Strategies to Improve Teaching in New Mexico

By Thomas J. Kane Walter H. Gale Professor Harvard Graduate School of Education

Outline

I. Overview of teacher effectiveness research.

• Traditional licenses, alternative licenses
• Licensure exams and academic selectivity
• On-the-job experience
• Tenure reviews
• II. Implications for teacher preparation.

.03 .06 .09 .12 Proportion of Classrooms

• 15
• 10
• 5

5 10 15 Change in Percentile Rank of Average Student Traditionally Certified Uncertified Alternatively Certified

Note: Classroom-level impacts on average student performance, controlling for baseline scores, student demographics and program participation. LAUSD elementary teachers, grade 2 through 5.

by Initial Certification Teacher Impacts on Math Performance Teach cher ers Dif Differ!

Teacher Effects in NYC by Initial Credentials

TFA Teachers Are More Effective Than Comparisons (although the difference is not large)

Source: Clark, Melissa A., Hanley S. Chiang, Tim Silva, Sheena McConnell, Kathy Sonnenfeld, Anastasia Erbe, and Michael Puma. (2013). “The Effectiveness of Secondary Math Teachers from Teach For America and the Teaching Fellows Programs” (NCEE 2013- 4015). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education.

…and it is not due to easy-to- measure academic qualifications.

Source: Clark, Melissa A., Hanley S. Chiang, Tim Silva, Sheena McConnell, Kathy Sonnenfeld, Anastasia Erbe, and Michael Puma. (2013). “The Effectiveness of Secondary Math Teachers from Teach For America and the Teaching Fellows Programs” (NCEE 2013- 4015). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education.

Academic qualification Relationship to Student Gains in Math? Attended selective college No Took more math courses in college No Teacher scored higher on Praxis II test of math content knowledge No Teacher had more days of student teaching in math No Teacher had more prior coursework in math pedagogy No Teacher was required to take more coursework while teaching Yes (Negative) Teaching experience Yes (1st to second year)

Fulton County, GA Gwinnett County, GA Los Angeles

Teachers learn on the job (during the first three years.)

Teacher Residency Programs are Expensive and Unproven

Initial On-the-Job Performance is Predictive of Later Performance

.03 .06 .09 .12 Proportion of Classrooms

• 15
• 10
• 5

5 10 15 Change in Percentile Rank of Average Student Bottom 3rd Quartile 2nd Quartile Top Quartile

Note: Classroom-level impacts on average student performance, controlling for baseline scores, student demographics and program participation. LAUSD elementary teachers, < 4 years experience.

by Ranking After First Two Years Teacher Impacts on Math Performance in Third Year

10

.03 .06 .09 .12 Proportion of Classrooms

• 15
• 10
• 5

5 10 15 Change in Percentile Rank of Average Student Bottom 3rd Quartile 2nd Quartile Top Quartile

Note: Classroom-level impacts on average student performance, controlling for baseline scores, student demographics and program participation. LAUSD elementary teachers, < 4 years experience.

by Ranking After First Two Years Teacher Impacts on Math Performance in Third Year

There is much more information at tenure review than in initial credential

.03 .06 .09 .12 Proportion of Classrooms

• 15
• 10
• 5

5 10 15 Change in Percentile Rank of Average Student Traditionally Certified Uncertified Alternatively Certified

Note: Classroom-level impacts on average student performance, controlling for baseline scores, student demographics and program participation. LAUSD elementary teachers, grade 2 through 5.

by Initial Certification Teacher Impacts on Math Performance

Implications

• High standards at tenure review offer

greater payoffs than higher admission standards or better pre-service training.

• Clinical experience matters, but neither

student teaching nor residency programs provide it effectively.

• High course-load requirements for

alternative pathway teachers diminish their students’ achievement.

Suggested actions

• No automatic tenure for teachers in the bottom quarter of

effectiveness at the end of the probationary period.

• Require pre-service preparation programs to provide instruction

and practice in classroom management and other practical instructional skills (e.g. “Teach like a Champion”)

• Require alternative certification programs to provide instruction

and practice in practical skills during the summer and limit course- taking requirements during initial years of teaching.

• Require teaching candidates to submit video lessons to be rated at

least once by faculty at another teacher preparation institution. (Using a common rubric.)

• Require programs to evaluate teachers’ performance and weed out

ineffective candidates at the end of student teaching.

• Require annual report on the effectiveness of recent graduates of

each teacher preparation institution.